Many people believe that the end of the Civil War was also the end of slavery in America. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. The Civil War didn't erase slavery; it only changed some of the rules. It also didn't wipe away the centuries of hate burning in the loins of the Southern United States. It did, however, impact the family dynamics, southern class system, working conditions, and economy of the freedmen and landowners of the south.
Reconnected Families:
For centuries black families had been separated at birth, marriages were broken apart, and siblings separated. Slaves could not travel freely; they had to carry a pass written by their owner explaining where they were going, why, and when they were to return. There was no hope of ever reconnecting with loved ones.
After the war, freedmen were able to move about the country as they pleased, so they could locate family members and reunite. Unfortunately, this was no easy task. Names had often been changed when slaves switched owners' hands, and sometimes spouses remarried believing they would never be reunited.
New Class System:
The old class system of the south was also broken apart. This system consisted of poor farmers, rich plantation owners, and slaves or servants. Blacks were often welcomed to attend the churches of their owners, they were occasionally taught by their mistresses, and often celebrated weddings, holidays, and other occasions with their masters. This was more common in the northern bordering states, but there are records throughout the deep south as well.
After the Civil War segregation became prominent. Blacks were no longer welcomed in the white churches so they built their own. Landlords looked at their hired hands as merely employees instead of dependents. Shopkeepers used the credit system to exploit black customers, keeping them in bondage. Black schools did begin forming, but money and resources were limited, and attendance was low because many children had to work.
Poor white farmers quickly lost their social status. Eventually, landowners preferred to have Mexican immigrants or blacks as tenants. These farmers fell victim to the same debt and credit problems as black farmers. They became tied to their land and landlords. This new class arrangement pushed many of these lower class families to move north or west in search of better opportunity.
New Working Conditions:
Around the time of the Civil War working conditions transformed across the country. In the North, and some regions of the West, freedmen, Indians, and immigrants became prime candidates for the railroad construction, corporate farming, mining, and production businesses. This was long before worker regulations came into effect, so work days were long and dangerous and pay was below poor. The only thing that separated these workers from slaves was the fact they could leave their employer in search of new opportunity.
Slave treatment differed from region to region, landowner to landowner, and class to class. However, the people were not free in any way shape or form. They answered to their overseers, were given ration-like supplies, and lived in less than efficient quarters. They suffered corporal punishment for "misbehaving" or "laziness", and had no opportunity for advancement.
After the Civil War, things changed in this area for the worse in many cases. Children who once were able to sit with their mistress and learn to read or listen to Bible stories were now forced to join the ranks of working men and women. Women remained bound to household chores and gender classified jobs. For men, whips and switches were replaced with breathing coal dust, getting iron burns, and other injuries. Black workers did now have the ability to leave their jobs, but only to find another one with similar conditions and pay. They were bound to these jobs because they required less education and experience. The only other option was to return to the fields.
Economic Hard Times:
Before the Civil War, slaves had little to no interest in the economy. They did what they were told, and that was it. If hard times fell on the landowner, they simply sold the slaves. There was no need for slaves to worry over crop prices, declines in buyers, or shipping costs. This was all handled by the owners.
After the war, however, freedmen's lives, liberties, and family's welfare hung on the balance of the economy. The war cost the South a great deal. Thousands of acres of crops were destroyed, shipping rates skyrocketed, and land had become desolate from mining and logging. Unfortunately, because these men had no education or training on the operations or procedures of business, they were not equipped to handle this rough economic times. They quickly fell into debt, thus tying them to their landlords much like they had been tied to their previous owners.
The Civil War impacted the lives of American slaves, as well as the rest of the nation. The largest impacts were in the basic freedoms granted them. Life didn't become easier for all, and it didn't become more difficult for all either. However, it did change for the better, and society has been adapting to these changes for the past century. We have still not reached the perfect balance between social classes, interracial relations, or economic stability. If Americans wish to make the next century of American History better than the last one, learning the truths of our past is the only hope.